Steve Prefontaine Quotes
I don't just go out there and run. I like to give people watching something exciting.
Jordan, Tom. Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine. Rodale Press, 1997.
The notorious Apache Chief Geronimo was a Federal prisoner, and the President had him transported to Washington to ride in his inaugural parade. TR was a publicist and a showman of the first order. Many people see him as the first President who used modern public relations and media techniques in the White House. Arguably, he has been the best President at this technique though Ronald Reagan was also superb.
Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine was an American long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. While running for the Oregon Track Club, Prefontaine set American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters, as he prepared for the 1976 Olympics. Prefontaine's career, alongside those of Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, and Bill Rodgers, generated considerable media coverage, which helped inspire the 1970s "running boom." He died when aged 24 in an automobile accident near his residence in Eugene, Oregon. One of the premier track meets in the world, the Prefontaine Classic, is held annually in Eugene in his honor. Prefontaine's celebrity and charisma later resulted in two 1990s feature films about his short life.
